Wind Style/ Hawk Blade
The Hawk Blade discipline was a style designed with mobility in mind, utilizing hit-and-run tactics. Though it is often considered a defensive style, it is known for some powerful offensive maneuvers. It is sometimes referred to as the standard grip version of Panther Blade, but it tends to operate by taking advantage of openings rather than just attacking with a unique offense. Development and Strategy The Hawk Blade was originally developed as the "Wind Style." It gained this name after a knight stated it was like trying to strike air. It eventually gained the hawk name for its tenacious speed. It was the first style developed with the speed of the user in mind rather than strength. It was also developed to help fight against many of the powerful strength styles that were dominating the battlefield without testing the durability of the weapon. The style accomplished this by keeping the user light on their feet, relying mostly on evading blows to keep the user safe. Over time, flexibility became a part of the style, with users sometimes bending backwards to evade attacks while still standing on their feet. The style also attacked from unique angles such as almost from the ground or even the air following certain evasive moves. While the maneuvers could be physically demanding, these moves were only done when the attack was sure to hit. The strategy of the Hawk Blade discipline is to usually stand just on the edge of the opponent's striking range. From there the Hawk Blade user typically only uses quick attacks that don't require them to commit to a focused offense. They will look for an opening where they can evade, get close, and strike in a swift motion. If they can perform an attack from an extremely high or extremely low angle, they typically will prefer those. Assuming their opponent still stands, they will step back out of striking range and begin the process anew. When pressured, they will usually make an attempt to evade and wound the legs of their target to allow themselves to keep the superior mobility in a fight. Variants The Hawk Blade is one of the most popular styles on Divintera, as superhumans make great use of the style's agility. It became a popular dueling style and saw plenty of use by the Paladins of Dhyla, as they often had to fight powerful beings where blocking was not an option. Single Blade: '''The user usually wields a very light blade in order to help keep their attacks swift and their body mobile. This is typically the most common of the variants as it was the first to be developed and it was designed for those who lacked brute strength. There were some reports of Hawk Blade users using a long cloth in their off-hand. Their dancer-like movement could sometimes mask their strikes or hypnotize an opponent, turning the tide in their favor. In the case of Paladins, they typically favored a small shield if they typically used this style. '''Two-Handed: '''Not often used exclusively but a variant was eventually developed. It is rare to see this style used with anything heavier than a bastard sword, though some exceptionally agile and strong superhumans have made great use of it with much heavier swords.This style is more demanding, since the user is likely using two hands to deliver more powerful blows and the user has to be able to move unhindered with the heavier sword. '''Dual Blade: Almost as popular as the Single Blade variant, the Dual Wield variant has more options to attack with while evading. The blades were usually kept light to keep the user's mobility was never hindered. Parries are more often used in this variant to create openings for the vicious, unique strikes Hawk Blade is known for.